It's finally come! We've waffled,
done both prereleases and rolling
releases and really put IPM 10 through its paces. Now the time has come. The
release of IPM 10 sets the course for FullHouse Software for the next
decade.
That's the focus of this newsletter. We're delighted to announce this
milestone and all the changes that go with it - like the new website. Moreover, FullHouse Software
begins its fourth year of operation July 1 - so what better way to
celebrate than reinventing...almost everything?

Bugs
& the IPM
10 UpdaterShortly
after we released IPM 2007, one of our customers discovered than an
enhancement in one function made a function she used regularly fail. She
exclaimed in exasperation, "Why don't you fix this stuff before you
release the software!" Our president replied, "The same
reason Microsoft released Vista with networking issues - it's impossible
to test every permutation even with unlimited resources, and our resources
are hardly unlimited. Instead, we try to make core functions rock-solid,
then respond quickly to new issues." And we had an update
available within two days.

Despite
two years of development and nearly nine months of testing, IPM 10 is new
software, and we know there will be some new, ahem,
'challenges'.

The
good news is that there won't the persistent bugs like 'transient tenants'
or printers that simply won't work. The bad news is that we have no
idea what the new issues will be. If you expect IPM 10 to be
bug-free, or your blood pressure just can't take relearning your daily
tasks, wait to switch to IPM 10. We're releasing it in August so
that we have time to make your maximum-stress period at year end as
effortless as possible. We won't wait to release updates, and we expect
them to be frequent throughout the fall.

We
also know that some users just don't have the time (or inclination) to
check our website for updates. We cringe when we see a user on a year-old
update, too. So we've built an updater to automatically keep your
installation current.

Here's how
the updater works: we post an update to our
website. You start IPM 10. If you have Automatic Updates turned
on, it'll check the website, validate your license, close IPM
10, download the changes and restart IPM 10. It's that
simple!

Of
course, the automatic update process requires an internet connection, and
will work only as long as your maintenance is current. This achieves one
goal we've been aiming at for years: getting everyone on maintenance on
the latest update, and keeping them current. Now it's effortless!

IPM
2007 Forever?Relax!
If you don't want to convert to IPM 10 right off the bat, you don't have
to. Everyone
currently on our Maintenance Plan will get IPM 10.0 when it's in full release at
no cost, just as you get all our program updates.

However, if you don't have internet access, or have an older
computer, or just don't want to change, we want to serve you, too. This presents a quandary for us; we want to provide everyone
with the latest and greatest software possible, but we don't want to force
our users into something they don't want.

To that end, once IPM 10.0 is in full release, we will offer a "Legacy
Maintenance Plan" for users of IPM 2007 to receive basic support -
unlocks, "how to" questions and new installations. Database
services will be available at consulting rates for Legacy Plan members,
and of course there won't be any more updates, but we'll keep you up and
running as long as you still want to use IPM 2007.

The
Next Generation of IPM BeginsAugust
31, 2009

The
long-awaited date is finally approaching! FullHouse Software is pleased to
announce that Investment Property Manager 10.0 will enter general
release August 31, 2009.

IPM
10 is the culmination of more than two years of development and testing.
It's a ground-up re-write based on IPM 2007, taking advantage of the
latest tools and features but with the workflow and concepts that make IPM
successful.

IPM's
data organization in databases containing
checkbooks, containing properties, containing units, containing residents
remains the same. The toolbar in IPM 10 is familiar to any user of
IPM 2007. A simple import function allows you to use all your IPM
2007 data in IPM 10 and gain all the advantages of the new database
structure effortlessly.

Enhancements
are too numerous to list here, but include support for working on multiple
screens at once, long file names, enhanced ticklers, tool tips throughout,
automatic updates, separate definition for check and report printers (that
you can change from the report!) and even support for remote offices.

There's
more information on every screen in a consistent, intuitive format.
IPM 10 has half the screens of IPM 2007, so navigation is faster. Every
task has been streamlined, from dropdowns for account numbers to
effortless posting and monthly charges. And of course, gone are the 'end
of month close' and the even less popular 'end of year close': IPM 10
compiles all totals based on date, so these functions are
unnecessary.

While we've
had one eye on our existing users, we also recognize that IPM 2007 hasn't
been as easy to learn for new users as we'd like. IPM 10 is more
consistent with the Windows standard, so if you've used almost any other
Windows application, you already know most of the interface. This makes it
easier for new users, and helps seasoned IPM users train their support
staff.

IPM 10 does
not overwrite IPM 2007 or earlier installations, so you can have both
programs installed on the same machine. We recommend that you install IPM
10 at least a month before you want to go live with it: this is a new
generation, not just a new version. We're offering a free Webinar to
get you ready for the transition, and have a 'making the transition' guide
just to reduce your stress.

Preview
Our New WebsiteThe
first thing we did when Realty Automation became FullHouse Software in
September, 2006, was update the website. That's our storefront and
our window on the world. However, our
current website betrays the ambiguity we had when we started FullHouse: we
really didn't know who would be looking. Should we target new customers?
Long-time users? Both? We chose the latter option and threw everything
against the wall to see what stuck.

Now we have a better idea,
and a lot more to offer. Our existing customers hit the updates, remote
live support, and our email address. Potential customers seem to
appreciate our candid comparisons with other products, the ROI calculator,
and the industry-specific pages we added for people new to the industry as
well as new to IPM. We didn't give potential customers a very easy path to
learn about IPM or buy it. And we certainly don't want to bother our
existing customers with the sales stuff.

We
believe you'll find the new website crisper and better organized. And
Remote Live Support is in the top right corner. Take a look here
- we think you'll like it!

New
Horizons?After IPM 10's in general release
and the new website's live, what's in store for IPM and FullHouse
Software? The obvious answers include 'updates', 'a vacation', or at
least 'a weekend off'. But the real answers include IPM
Enterprise Edition for our larger customers, and new features coming out
our ears. We'll be using the 'tips' screen in IPM 10 to query our
users about what they want. Some ideas kicking around include,
online chat between IPM users, an integrated Web browser, a 'favorite
reports' tool to streamline monthly printing, and literally dozens
more. IPM 10 is designed for change, and we want to live up to that
potential.

FREE
Webinar:'Making the Transition'August 18, 2009
2 PM Eastern

This webinar
is designed specifically to help you move from IPM 2007 to IPM 10.

It will cover
the nuts and bolts of importing your data, navigating screens, and doing
all the things you do on a monthly basis. It will focus on the basic
monthly cycle in IPM 10, from charging residents to receiving payment to
writing checks to printing reports.

It will be
recorded and available on our website after the original
presentation.

It will NOT
go into detail on every screen or function. We're providing a transition
guide, and computer-based training courses for that.

The course
will be 45 minutes, starting at 2 pm on
Tuesday, August 18, 2009. Space is
limited, so email sales@fullhousesoftware.com
to reserve your spot now!

Yet one more
reason why our maintenance plan is a great value!

Are
You (and your Data)
Ready for IPM 10?Our design
philosophy is founded on being just behind cutting edge, and definitely back from
bleeding edge. If you jumped on Vista, traded your SUV for a Prius
and change phones as often as you change shoes, we know you've already
got IPM 10 installed and have been playing with it.

If you're
like me, and have a phone that resides in the glove box of my 10-year-old
Volvo, and haven't had any problems with IPM 2007 there's nothing
pushing you to change...right now.

When you are
ready to move, you need to make your data ready for IPM 10. If
you have any tenant ledgers that don't match your charge/due screen, start
working on them! IPM
10 relies on the tenant ledger, so get 'em right before you switch.
Anything else you've been putting off - trials out of balance, unposted
items, et.c - need to be cleaned up first.

We're a small
company, and know that we'll have our hands full after the general
release, so we certainly don't mind you waiting a while to change
over. (Our automatic updates should reduce the pain from the
bleeding-edge people, by making sure any fix is disseminated
immediately). We know we'll find more than a few 'gotchas' once
hundreds of users pound on it daily.

We're working
hard to make the transition as easy as possible, and hope you do your
part, too.

What's IPM 10?If
this is the first you've heard about IPM 10, there's a webinar you can
watch to get clued in. The webinar introduced
IPM 10 and starting the prerelease program. It covered the major screens
and highlighted some of the new features.
You can view it on the IPM 10 page, or
click
here.